


not a single place that I would rather be

by orphan_account



Category: Women's Soccer RPF
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-08
Updated: 2013-08-08
Packaged: 2017-12-22 20:55:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,330
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/917921
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kelley's turning twenty five tomorrow, and Ashlyn's jeep is full of gas, and there's nothing to stop her spontaneous road trip up to Jersey.</p>
            </blockquote>





	not a single place that I would rather be

**Author's Note:**

> In which sky blue doesn't play wash spirit the night before kelley's birthday.  
> this is kind of a mess but I haven't written in a while we're getting there (ali krieger voice) just take it

Ali's the one who suggests it, taking a surprise trip to see Kelley on her birthday. Ashlyn tries to ignore the knowing look her roommate gives her when she agrees too quickly, and pretends her secret's still a secret. Pretends that Ali hasn't caught on to Ashlyn's more than friendly feelings towards Kelley. Still, she texts Erin, Kelley's sister to check if it's ok, because she;s not about to pass up on an opportunity to see her friend.

When they're both sprawled out on the couch not really watching whatever show's on tv, Ali mentions in passing that Kelley will be happy to see Ashlyn. When she says to send her love, it dawns upon Ashlyn that she's not coming with her. And she knows her secret's out.

Still, it's not like she's going to acknowledge it, so she laughs a little and pretends to watch whatever it is that's on tv.

Except, Ali's known her for years. Like she could ever hide something like this.

“Will you be happy to see Kelley?” Ashlyn sighs. Apparantly this conversation's happening.

“Of course I will. It's been ages since I've seen her.” She gives the easy answer, the platonic one, in the hopes that Ali will just accept that she doesn't want to talk about it yet, but Ali's nudging her with her foot and making _those eyes,_ the ones that mean she's not letting up.

“Come on Ash, you know I know.”

“Then why do I have to say it?” She's just being stubborn now, because sometiems she hates the way Ali knows her so well.

“Because I'm your best friend. You're supposed to tell me everything.”

Ashlyn knows she's fighting a losing battle, and she's tired, so she gives in. “You mean tell you how I have feelings for Kelley that I'm not sure I'm allowed to have? And how I don't even fully understand them but everytime we're together all I want to do is kiss that stupid grin off her stupid face? You want me to tell you things like that?”

Ali must be able to hear the hurt in Ashlyn's voice, no matter how well she tried to disguise it, because she reaches over to rub Ashlyn's knee, before shifting herself completely to pull her in for a hug. Ashlyn hugs back tightly, feeling tears unexpectedly behind her eyes.

She manages to blink them back.

It's the first time she's ever said it out loud, now the feelings are more real than ever.

Maybe an impromptu trip is a bad idea.

Ali rubs her back gently and pulls away, “If it's any consolation, I think she might want to kiss your stupid face too.” Ashlyn thinks she's only saying it to make her feel better, but it's the thought that counts.

It's been months since they've seen each other for an extended period of time, with the NWSL, and Ashlyn not getting called up to camp, and she misses Kelley like hell. There's not much she's been able to do about it, until now, when Kelley's turning twenty five tomorrow, and Ashlyn's jeep is full of gas, and there's nothing to stop her spontaneous road trip up to Jersey.

She texts Erin when she's about to leave the next morning, lets her know when to expect her, and reminds her not to tell Kelley. Ashlyn knows Kelley loves surprises. She's out the front door by 10am with an overnight bag and a note scribbled to Ali on the fridge.

Her left leg bounces the whole first hour, the butterflies in her stomach refusing to settle, because it's been so long.

By the time 11:30 comes around her body's calmed down and accepted the fact that there's still hours to go. She gets a text from Ali telling her to drive safe, and send Kelley her love.

Four hours into her trip a song she knows the words to but not the name of comes on the radio, and she sings along until her throat hurts.

She finally gets there after countless hours of driving with a single bathroom stop, and it's all worth it for the look on Kelley's face.

The look on Kelley's face, which is hard to describe, but falls somewhere between awe and excitement and love, and Ashlyn would make the journey every day for that look. The stiffness in her legs and tiredness settling in behind her eyes, all of it is worth it when Kelley wraps her arms around her middle and buries her head in Ashlyn's neck and doesn't let go.

It's worth it even more when Kelley pulls back with tears in her eyes and whispers, “I'm so glad you're here.”

She's the only one there apparently, and Kelley explains how Erin went to get groceries and told her to stay behind and clean for their brother and parents getting there later. “She never told me you would be here too!” Kelley's smiling that stupid grin again, the one that hasn't left her face since Ashlyn arrived. Ashlyn's trying not to think about kissing it. She's also trying not to think about what Ali said, about Kelley wanting to kiss her back. Neither of those thoughts are worth thinking when Kelley tells her the rooms in her house are all taken, so they'll have to share, and leads Ashlyn to her bedroom. Then she makes a call to the restaurant her family had booked for dinner and asks to make the booking for six instead of five. Then she sits down on the couch next to Ashlyn and just stares at her, her smile not faltering once.

“I really missed you Ashlyn. I'm glad you're here.”

“I missed you too Kell, that's why I came. Ali sends her love, by the way.” Ashlyn could have sworn Kelley's eyes dipped down to her lips as she spoke, but reason told her no, definitely not.

Kelley's smile falters for a second,

Erin arrives back from grocery shopping at almost the exact same time the rest of the O'Hara family land in and it's a whirlwind from there. Ashlyn has difficulty keeping up.

She doesn't have a chance to really catch her breath until dinner. Dinner is when Kelley's hand finds her thigh under the table and squeezes gently, while she whispers, “Not too overwhelmed are you?”

Ashlyn just laughs and shakes her head, and tries to ignore the way Kelley's eyes stay fixed on her for a few seconds longer than they should, and the way her hand remains on her leg until their food arrives.

When she looks back on it in a week's time, she'll wonder how she didn't see the signs.

They go out after dinner, to Kelley's favourite bar, and by the time they're calling a cab nobody can walk straight. Kelley's fingers find Ashlyn's once they stumblr into Kelley's bedroom for the night, and Ashlyn's too buzzed to even think about ignoring the way it feels. She squeezes Kelley's hand and pulls her towards her, falling into an easy hug.

Except then Kelley looks up from where her head is resting on Ashlyn's shoulder and their faces are so close they might as well be kissing.

The alcohol tells Ashlyn “fuck it,” and she closes the gap.

The kiss is more intoxicating than all the alcohol she's had, and it leaves her head whirling even after they've broken apart. Kelley's not looking away though, and she's definitely not running away.

There's shyness in her eyes now, and then in her voice when she whispers, “I think we should do that again.”

That shyness fuels Ashlyn's confidence, and she pushes Kelley backwards onto the bed, straddling her hips before replying, “Good idea.”

So maybe Ali was right. Maybe Kelley does like her. Maybe it's just the alcohol speaking.

Whatever it is, there's a beautiful girl underneath her, in a situation she could only imagine for the longest time. She'll deal with the rest in the morning.

 


End file.
